KBBI hires new development director, reporter

Public radio station KBBI recently has filled two key staff positions.

Rose Grech has been hired as KBBI’s development director.

Ariel Van Cleave has been hired as the new reporter and host of “Morning Edition” for KBBI and KDLL.

n Grech moved to Homer in May, working at the information booth of the Homer Farmers’ Market and volunteering for Sustainable Homer and the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. She comes to Homer from Portland, Ore., where, among other things, she was the manager of the human resources program for Idealist.org. The job included building resources for nonprofit HR employees, managing events, doing promotions, managing a portion of the organization’s web site and creating user groups for the web site.

Grech was born and raised in Manhattan and lived in Portland for five years before moving to Homer. She has a bachelor of arts degree in communications from Iona College in New York and a master’s in public administration from Baruch College in New York.

nVan Cleave holds a master’s degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield. She has worked covering Illinois state government in Springfield for the Illinois Radio Network and as a reporter and host for WBAA in West Lafayette, Ind.

She came to Alaska earlier this year to work for the summer at KDLG in Dillingham, where she hosted “Morning Edition” and contributed reporting on the fishing industry.

She is expected to arrive in Homer in early December, and begin work soon after.

Van Cleave replaces Marcia Lynn, who held the position for more than three years. Lynn left KBBI earlier this month to take a position with the Pratt Museum.